Top times during first Kids’ Runs

As of this year the Coolsingel is occupied by runners for two days.  For the first time the Saturday afternoon is devoted to the young runners, who ran a distance of 1 or 2.5 K. Between three and four o'clock 16 thousand children from everywhere ran their race of the year.

Isabel Raap winner girls seven years
The youngest, seven year olds, start first. Isabel Raap is the first to step over the white finish line and still panting subsequently walks towards her mum and dad. When asked how it went, the blond athlete could not respond. Only after the ceremony is this youngest winner approachable again. "This is not my first cup. At home I have more. No, we don't go to all the races, but I think it's great to participate here. This was my best race."

Joris Keller, winner of eight year olds
In the category for eight year olds Joris Keller wins, with Salim Doudouh second and Femke Noordam third.

Roos Hop winner ten year olds
Even more remarkable is ten year old Roos Hop's race, who clocks 3.29 and is two seconds faster than the two boys who followed her. Jesse Hendriks (3.31) and Alessio van Straaten (3.33) look frustratingly as the blonde runner passes the finish line just before them. "I've been the Dutch champion eight times and came all the way from Roosendaal to win here. Because this is of course a very important race. Some day I hope to run a real marathon."
Hop's performance impresses the Coolsingel, where many athletics experts nod approvingly. Roos and Gian, brother and sister just miss the prizes, but the primary school pupils from Schiebroek find it "really cool" to finish on the Coolsingel. "Our mother Berradina has run here often and is watching us now."

A look back at the Kids' Run 2.5 km
Meanwhile, participants of the 2.5 kilometre race have started. Some tough guys in football shirts storm away immediately, but they have to handover the lead after a hundred metres to the 'real' athletes. Nisrine Masralmi is such a 'real' athlete from Energie Barendrecht. After more than seven minutes the waiting crowd see her approaching the arch at the finish, leaving two boys far behind her. With a time of 7.49, this 14-year-old athlete is head and shoulders above the others. Numbered 2222 and 2205, Bilal Boudal and Jerrie Suiker fight for first place among the boys. As with the seven year olds, these sprinters achieve exactly the same time. "He was a hair's length ahead," admits Sugar immediately afterwards. "But that girl (Nisrine), we really could not keep up with her. She was so incredibly good. I take part in sport often, I'm no athlete but I find this insanely fun to do. What an atmosphere. Next year I want to run on Sunday."

During the award ceremony all the proud winners stand on the stage at four o'clock. The first Kids' Runs has been exceptionally successful.